The Cheapest Way to Get More Africans Online May Not Be a New Smartphone

Africa still has a smartphone affordability problem, and the industry is trying to solve it by making new devices cheaper. That approach is now running into a market moving the other way. The GSMA estimates that an entry-level smartphone cost 26% of monthly income per capita in sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, rising to 64% for the poorest 40%.